Big E: The Pandemic Era Was ‘Like A Cousin’ To Professional Wrestling, Roman Reigns Is ‘The Guy’
Image Credit: WWE
Big E won the Men’s Money in the Bank Ladder Match on Sunday, and while the fan-favorite star has enjoyed many memorable moments throughout his WWE career, this victory arguably outshined them all.
In an interview with Steven Muehlhausen of DAZN News, Big E looked back on his triumph at WWE Money in the Bank and explained how the return of live fans made it even more special. He stated that the crowd’s response was like a drug, as it gave him an amazing high. He then argued that the wrestling of the pandemic era was like a “cousin” to the product that professional wrestling is supposed to present.
“I tell people, being Mr. Money in the Bank is incredible,” said Big E. “But if we did that with no crowd, it’s very cool, but it doesn’t feel nearly the same. It’s not the same. What I remember 20, 30 years from now, is just the moment of hitting the Big Ending off the ladder. That crazy powerbomb onto the ladder from Seth [Rollins] to KO [Kevin Owens.] Then it feels like Seth is about to win. But I felt like as soon as I started to get up on my feet and slide in, from then until the end of the segment till they got me out of there, it’s a kind of drug, a kind of high that is unmatched.
“I hope everyone gets to experience that, not necessarily in pro wrestling if you’re not a pro wrestler, but whatever it is in your field, whatever it is that gives you that kind of feeling. It’s incredible and that’s why we do it. We were doing the best we could in the Thunderdome era. I think I forgot how incredible it is to be in front of fans because it’s night and day. I almost felt like we were doing something different. We were like, this is now pro wrestling, and what we were doing before was something like a cousin to pro wrestling. It sounds corny, it sounds cliche, but I think pro wrestling needs fans more than any other industry live.”
As for his plans as Mr. Money in the Bank, Big E acknowledged that the reigning world champions, Roman Reigns and Bobby Lashley, are both excellent options for his potential opponents, but he described how he prefers Reigns because he’s “the guy”, so beating him would be a special moment.
“Roman’s the guy in the industry, and if you want to be remembered, if you want to do something cool, something special, that’s a great way to do it,” said Big E. “Roman’s on a tear. This is one of the best runs I can remember. I feel like he’s definitely hitting his stride in a way that he hasn’t before. You can look at the entire scope of the rest of the industry, and you can determine who you think is the number one guy, who you think is the best, who should be at the very top.
“I think it’s not that difficult to make an argument for Roman being number one across all brands, across all boards. Beating him means that whoever beats him for that title, it’s going to be memorable. It’s going to mean something, and why not me?”